Microsoft Edge virus warning removal

The tech support scam relying on Microsoft Edge virus alert popups is escalating, so here’s how users should act if this hoax hits their web surfing experience.

The steady increase in the volume of technical support scams is underway as a growing number of users bump into phony alerts about purported contamination of their PCs with harmful viruses. This attack vector has significant benefits for the cyber con artists. First off, they don’t have to pull in any tangible financial and human resources for creating sophisticated malware. The only sketchy code involved is browser hijackers that display pre-configured deceptive warning messages to victims. These entities, along with a rogue support agent on the other end, suffice for such frauds to thrive. All of the above applies to the Microsoft Edge virus alert campaign. The associated offending code tweaks Edge browser settings so that the users recurrently visit a misleading web page with aggressive scripts on it.

Microsoft Edge virus alert imposing bogus tech support

While the tactic is very much like the one leveraged by other tech support scams out there, this wave has got a peculiar distinctive trait. The tricky thing about this attack is that the browser alert is accompanied by an audio message playing in the background. The annoying male voice coming out of the speakers says:

Please do not shut down or reset your computer. The following data might be compromised if you continue: passwords, browser history, credit card information, local hard disk files. These viruses are well known for identity and credit card theft. Further action on this computer or any other device on your network might reveal private information, and it involves serious risks. Call Windows technical support.

In other words, the hoax attempts to dupe the victim into contacting a pseudo support agent over the phone, with the phone number being indicated on the “Windows Security – Microsoft Edge” popup. The obnoxious dialog box additionally asks the user to enter their username and password. Interestingly, this splash screen warns the targeted person that the admin credentials will be sent through an insecure connection. That’s a questionably reasonable thing to emphasize, for criminals who seek to obtain these details. Anyway, the extra data request is one more noteworthy quirk of this scam.

The Microsoft Edge virus alert won’t pop up unless the browser is plagued with a persistent adware-type infection. It’s the hijacker to blame for modifying Edge settings, such as the homepage, new tab and default search engine, without the user’s awareness and consent. Moreover, it may operate via a stealthy plugin that also invokes the traffic redirects in a haphazard way, that is, regardless of the above custom settings being triggered. This interference results in frequent, if not constant, blocking of the Edge browser with the fake warning page displayed alongside the super-irritating voice. The perpetrating object most likely propagates by means of application bundles, so it’s important to explore installation clients for extra promotions, especially in scenarios of freeware setup.

What’s the motivation backing the Microsoft Edge virus alert scam? The idea is to brainwash the victim into giving that phone call to the impostor support operators. They will offer a “malware cleanup” service that comes down to providing remote access to the system. At best, the browser warnings will vanish afterwards, but this presupposes pay a fee. The outcome may be more serious than that, though. The malefactors might install more viruses onto the machine or leave a backdoor for future intrusions or continuous eavesdropping. Therefore, if confronted with this fraud, the best reaction is to get rid of the browser threat that causes the traffic redirects. Also, be sure to abstain from contacting the self-proclaimed Microsoft technicians.

Automated removal of the Microsoft Edge virus alert

Owing to an up-to-date database of malware signatures and intelligent behavioral detection, the recommended software can quickly locate the infection, eradicate it and remediate all harmful changes. So go ahead and do the following:

1. Download and install the antimalware tool. Open the solution and have it check your PC for PUPs and other types of malicious software by clicking the Start Computer Scan button

2. Rest assured the scan report will list all items that may harm your operating system. Select the detected entries and click Fix Threats to get the troubleshooting completed.

Use Control Panel to get rid of the Microsoft Edge virus alert scam

• Open up the Control Panel from your Start menu in Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10 and select Uninstall a program
• To facilitate the process of locating the threat, sort the programs list by date to get the latest ones displayed at the very top. Find a suspicious or clearly malicious entry under the Name column, click Uninstall and follow further directions to get the removal done

Restore Edge browser settings to their original defaults

In the circumstances of a complex browser hijack like this, executing a reset makes the most sense despite a few obvious downsides. Customizations such as saved passwords, bookmarked pages, etc. will be gone, but so will all the changes made by the potentially unwanted program. The instructions below address the workflow for the web browser targeted by this virus.

Reset Microsoft Edge

• Open the Edge browser, click on the Settings and more (Alt+X) button in the top right-hand part of the window, and select Settings on the drop-down list
• Scroll down the settings interface and find the Clear browsing data option. Go ahead and click on the Choose what to clear button
• Now scrutinize the list of browsing information elements to be cleared, select additional checkboxes where appropriate, and click Clear
• Check whether or not Edge continues to act up. If it’s still affected by the malware, go to the Start menu in Windows 10 and select Settings. When the Windows Settings screen appears, select Apps as shown below
• Find Microsoft Edge on the Apps & features interface and click Advanced options below the entry
• Find the Reset sub-section on the following screen and click Repair first
• Check whether the PUP is still affecting Edge. If it is, click Reset on the same interface
• The system will display a warning dialog that says all data related to Edge, including your preferences and sign-in details, will be permanently deleted. If you are sure, hit Reset once again. Now the Edge browser should be good to go.

Revise your security status

Post-factum assessment of the accuracy component in malware removal scenarios is a great habit that prevents the comeback of harmful code or replication of its unattended fractions. Make sure you are good to go by running an additional safety checkup.